What Is The AEF?

AEF Eaglet Release From Hacking Tower Overlooking Douglas Lake In East Tennessee

The American Eagle Foundation (AEF) is a not-for-profit organization of concerned citizens and professionals founded in 1985 to develop and conduct bald eagle and environmental recovery programs in the United States and to assist private, state and federal projects that do the same. Our goal is to fully restore the bald eagle, the U.S.A.'s National Symbol, to America's lands and skies and to "Build A Nest-Egg" for their future care and protection. We are headquartered at the Dollywood entertainment park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

In addition to our commitment to conduct projects that ensure the restoration and protection of eagles in the wild, we are dedicated to caring for eagles that are injured and orphaned. At our Pigeon Forge eagle center, we are federally licensed care-givers to over 80 birds of prey daily. These birds are non-releasable due to permanent physical disabilities or accidental imprinting on humans. Many of the non-releasable eagles residing at our facility have successfully reproduced while in our care. We operate the largest Bald Eagle breeding facility in the world, and have released dozens of captive-hatched eaglets into the Great Smoky Mountains area, Tennessee and other places. We have been a party to releasing hundreds of eaglets into the wild in cooperation with Federal and State agencies, and have also supported numerous eagle recovery and protection projects in various states.

Also, our organization is deeply involved in environmental education. Since 1991, we have educated millions of people at the Dollywood entertainment park and at schools, conventions and events throughout the country. We have successfully performed more than 10,000 "free flight" birds of prey education programs since 1991 using non-releasable, permanently disabled trained birds of prey. All of our efforts to save and protect America's eagles do little good if we cannot teach respect and appreciation for these magnificent birds and their natural habitat ... and that is our number one goal.

Our activities and programs are recognized by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, Independent Charities of America, Animal Charities Of America, Office of Personnel Management, Internal Revenue Service, and numerous State fish and wildlife agencies.